Durga Puja Calendar 2002
The Durga Puja festival calendar - from Mahalaya through Maha Shashthi, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Vijayadashami, with the tithi for each day.
The Durga Puja Calendar lists 9 dates in 2002, from Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on 6 October through Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on 20 October. October holds the most with 9 dates. The year runs through Shaka Samvat 1923 – 1924.
October 2002
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Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya
Tithi 8:41 PM, Oct 5 – 4:47 PM, Oct 6
The last day of Pitru Paksha for ancestral tarpan, and the herald of Durga Puja.
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Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana)
Tithi 4:46 PM, Oct 6 – 12:54 PM, Oct 7
Nine nights of worship of Goddess Durga begin on Ashwin Shukla Pratipada, opened by the Ghatasthapana (kalash) ritual in Maharashtra and the garba and dandiya-raas nights of Gujarat; in Rajasthan the Karni Mata fair at Deshnok and the Jeen Mata fair draw great crowds.
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Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi
Tithi 1:04 AM, Oct 11 – 11:28 PM, Oct 11
Bodhon and Kalparambha — the formal welcome of Goddess Durga that opens the puja.
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Durga Puja — Maha Saptami
Tithi 11:40 PM, Oct 11 – 10:53 PM, Oct 12
Nabapatrika is bathed and Goddess Durga is worshipped on the seventh day of the puja.
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Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami
Tithi 11:02 PM, Oct 12 – 11:01 PM, Oct 13
The grandest day of Durga Puja, with Kumari Puja and the Sandhi Puja at dusk.
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Durga Puja — Maha Navami
Tithi 11:10 PM, Oct 13 – 11:51 PM, Oct 14
The ninth day of Durga Puja, marked by Navami Homa and the final grand worship.
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Dussehra / Dasara (Vijayadashami)
Tithi 11:59 PM, Oct 14 – 1:15 AM, Oct 16
The victory of good over evil — effigies of Ravana are burnt and Durga is bid farewell.
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Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja
Tithi 11:59 PM, Oct 14 – 1:15 AM, Oct 16
Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami.
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Kojagari Lakshmi Puja
Tithi 7:47 AM, Oct 19 – 10:18 AM, Oct 20
On the Sharad Purnima night, Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped through a vigil for prosperity; in Rajasthan, Jodhpur keeps the night with the Marwar Festival of folk music and dance.
Tithi start and end times are shown in your local time. Festival dates follow the standard Indian (sunrise) calendar and may vary by a day in other regions, and may differ slightly from regional almanacs (especially around an Adhik Maas).
What happened in the sky in 2002
Beyond the dates the Durga Puja Calendar lists, 2002 brought 5 eclipses - 2 solar and 3 lunar - of which 3 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi fell on 11 October, 11 days earlier in the year than in 2001 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 2002
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Hindu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 May 5:33 PM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Jyeshtha Purnima | Penumbral only |
| 11 Jun 5:14 AM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Jyeshtha Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 25 Jun 2:57 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Ashadha Krishna Pratipada | Penumbral only |
| 20 Nov 7:16 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Margashirsha Purnima | Penumbral only |
| 4 Dec 1:01 PM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Margashirsha Amavasya | Not visible |
No eclipse of 2002 carried Sutak Kaal in India. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.
Guru and Shani in 2002
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Jul 12:30 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Mithuna → Karka |
| 23 Jul 8:20 AM | Shani (Saturn) | Vrishabha → Mithuna |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Vrishabha on 16 February 2002, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Durga Puja Calendar 2002
How many festivals and vrats does the Durga Puja Calendar list in 2002?
The Durga Puja Calendar lists 9 dates in 2002. The first is Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on Sunday, 6 October 2002, and the last is Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on Sunday, 20 October 2002.
What are the main festival dates in the Durga Puja Calendar for 2002?
The first major observances of 2002 are:
- Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya - Sunday, 6 October 2002
- Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana) - Monday, 7 October 2002
- Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi - Friday, 11 October 2002
- Durga Puja — Maha Saptami - Saturday, 12 October 2002
- Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami - Sunday, 13 October 2002
- Durga Puja — Maha Navami - Monday, 14 October 2002
Which month of 2002 has the most observances in the Durga Puja Calendar?
October 2002 is the fullest month with 9 dates, including Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya, Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana), Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi, Durga Puja — Maha Saptami, Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami, Durga Puja — Maha Navami, Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja, Dussehra / Dasara (Vijayadashami).
Which traditional year does 2002 correspond to in the Durga Puja Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2002 spans Shaka Samvat 1923 – 1924. The traditional year does not begin on 1 January, so one Gregorian year usually covers the end of one era year and the start of the next.
Did 2002 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 2002 had twelve lunar months with no Adhik Maas, so its festival dates fall in their usual Gregorian window rather than being pushed later by an intercalary month.
Were there any eclipses in 2002?
2002 had 5 eclipses:
- 26 May 2002 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
- 11 June 2002 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 25 June 2002 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
- 20 November 2002 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
- 4 December 2002 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
None of them carried Sutak Kaal in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 2002?
Yes - 2 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2002:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Karka on 5 July 2002
- Shani (Saturn) entered Mithuna on 23 July 2002
Jupiter takes about a year to cross one sign and Saturn about two and a half, so these transits colour the whole year rather than a single week.
Are these 2002 dates the same everywhere?
The dates follow the standard Indian sunrise-based calendar. Because a tithi begins and ends at a fixed moment rather than at midnight, an observance can fall a day earlier or later where sunrise differs - most noticeably outside India. Set your city in the box at the top to see the start and end times in your own local time, and check the daily Panchang for the exact window on the day.
About the Durga Puja Calendar
The Durga Puja festival calendar - from Mahalaya through Maha Shashthi, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Vijayadashami, with the tithi for each day.
Each entry lists the festival or vrat with its date, the prevailing tithi, and a short note on the observance. Use the year links to plan ahead into the coming years or to look up a date from the archive.
This list is the festival dates, not the daily five limbs. For sunrise, Rahu Kalam and the day's yoga, open the Panchang. Other calendars are on the Calendars index. The story of a fast is under Vrat Katha.
